Easel.



PATENTBD MAY 17, 1904.

J. WEBER. B ASBL.

APPLIOATION FILED JULY 21, 1902.

N0 MODEL.

IN VEN TOR WIT NESSE S Q% Z W 04 TTORNE Y5.

WASHINGTON n c UNITED STATES Patented May 1?, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN WEBER, OF UNION HILL, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO THE WHITE- HEAD & HOAG COMPANY, OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

EASEL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 759,946, dated. May 1'7, 190.4.

Application filed Tuly 21, 1902. Serial No. 116,384. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN WEBER, of Union Hill, inthe county of Essex, in the State of New Jersey, have invented new and useful Improvements inEasels, of which the following, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to improvements in easels.

My object is to produce a stand or easel upon which may be displayed cards, photographs, or articles of merchandise, which stand or easel may be manufactured at aminimum cost, is durable, and may be readily folded so as to occupy a minimum amount of space in storage or transportation.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view looking from the rear of my improved stand or easel. Fig. 2 is a side elevation showing the device partly folded in full lines and in operative position in dotted lines. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the detached folding section. Fig. 4 is an enlarged vertical section through the lower part of the stand or easel, showing particularly the manner of folding the same.

Similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

As seen in the drawings, the easel consists, essentially, of front, rear, and base septions 1, 2, and 3, and a supplemental base-section 4, the sections 1 2 3 being usually formed of cardboard or similar cheap material, and the section 4 is preferably formed of lighter paper or cardboard with a fabric facing suitably scored or creased to form a flexing connection between the parts 1, 2, and 3 capable of withstanding ordinary usage. The sections 1 and 2 are united at their upper edges, being preferably scored or creased at 5, so as to form ahinged joint upon which the sections 1 and 2 may readily swing, the section 1 being adapted to be secured to a suitable display-card 6, or may be secured directly to any article of merchandise or to the back of a photograph or other article to be displayed. These sections 1 and 2 may be of any desired size or form. The section 3 is usually hinged at its front or rear edge, preferably the rear edge, to the lower edge of one of the upright sections, as the rear section 2, and is adapted to be folded inwardly and upwardly against the inner face of said section when desiredas, for instance, in transportation or storage. This base-section 3 is preferably rigid or nonflexible, and determines the amount of separation between the lower edges of the sections 1 and 2 when extended or open, the free edge of said section 3 being operatively engaged with the inner face of the section 1, so as to hold the sections 1 and 2 in their open position.

The supplemental section 4 is flexibly united to the lower edge of the section 1 and is also flexibly connected to the base-section 3 in a transverse line substantially midway between the opposite edges of the base-section 3 and is provided with an aperture 7 for receiving the finger of the operator, whereby the free edge of the section 3 may be forced upwardly from its operative position and the whole device folded in the manner seen in Fig. 2 or closed, if desired. In order to properly hold the section 4 in position, I extend the same rearwardly and upwardly between the layers of the cardboard-section 2 for forming the flexing-joint between the lower and rear edges of the sections 2 and 3, said rear portion of the section 4 being secured to the sections 2 and 3 by suitable adhesive substance, as binding paste or glue.

It is evident from the foregoing description that substantially one half of the section 4 is adhesively secured to one half of the section 3, while the other half of the section 4 serves as a flexible connection between the central portion of the bottom section 3 and the lower edge of the section 1, thus forming a hingejoint 8 substantially midway between the opposite front and rear edges of the section 3.

When the device is extended, it forms substantially an isosceles triangle, as seen in Fig. 1, and when it. is desired to fold the device into a compact space the finger is inserted through the aperture 7, so as to press against the free edge of the section 3, whereupon said sections 3 and 4 are forced upwardly and 1mpinge between the adjacent faces of the sections 1 and 2.

The operation of my invention will now be readily understood upon reference to the foregoing description and the accompanying drawings.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patout, is

An easel of the type set forth comprising front and rear sections hinged together at their upper edges, a base-section arranged between the lower edges of the said sections, and a flexible supplemental base-section adhesively secured to the lower face of said base-section throughout one-half the length thereof and having its ends extending beyond said base section, the forward end of said flexible basesection being turned upwardly and adhesively secured to the extreme lower edge of the said front section, a display-card adhesively se cured to said front section and secured over said upturned forward end of the flexible basesection, the rear end of'said flexible base-sec tion being turned upwardly and adhesively secured between the layers of the rear section, said rear section being formed in layers, the forward end of said flexible base-section having an aperture therein whereby to permit the insertion of means to engage the forward end of the base-section proper to move the same upwardly in order to permit the device being collapsed.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 16th day of July, 1902.

JOHN WEBER.

WVitnesses:

W. \V. VAN Nnss, VVAL ER E. ENSIGN. 

